Christopher Brown

The biggest thing that I have learned just by doing the instruction is that the online learner needs to be more engaged. When you're in the dedicated classroom, it is easier to have their attention because everyone is interaction and it is in real time, but online it can be something forgotten or given less effort only because it isn't seen as interactive and more of a solitary experience.

I am not a fan of the sharing of personal experiences and self-disclosure when it gets out of hand. It can be used effectively to show how you are an expert in your field, but if the sharing gets into the personal and away from the professional, then it can be a problem.

I like the idea of using multiple sources. In fact, the adaptive technology section mentions using their responses to adjust the questions. I like to offer students multiple avenues for finding information about a subject because sometimes I may present material/peojects in a way that they may be struggling with, but seeing a different perspective (from a student, video, website, etc) might just make them look at it in a way that they can understand.

I have always liked the idea of the blended/hybrid programs. They were beneficial for me when I couldn't attend the traditional school because of work, family, and so on. So I am used to this environment. I can use that expertise to show students a path towards staying on track (which is the most common cause of student issues that i have seen). 

I think my new favorite quote, and the thing that will stick with me the most is: "Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence" – Abigail Adams, First Lady to President John Adams

Students have to be shown how the information, projects, and hard work will pay off later. This will cause them to seek out new informaiton and even more expanded knowledge with a fervor that they didn't know they possessed. If you can get them to see how it is vital for them, they are more… >>>

Oddly enough, the biggest thing that I took from this has already been discussed in other trainings. It is all about making sure that the students know that you are a real person, not a bot, and that you're there for them if they need it. Also, you have to make the subject matter fun. I know that not everything is a barrel of laughs, but we need to take that dry material and turn it into something they're asking more about. Whether it is relating it to real applications or letting them guide the lesson. For instance, I have… >>>

This is sometimes difficult. I have had students who love the pressure of the time crunch and they will wait until the last minute to do things. I am not that person. I like to get everything done early if possible. So that difference in personality can be difficult to overcome, but I have learned to harness the lateness and show them how it can be beneficial to do things early. Granted, some still don't adhere to it and turn things in just in the nick of time.

Time for a confession. I am TERRIBLE at delegation. I am the person who has to do everything. If you're struggling, I want to jump in and do it for you. I have worked hard to not do that in a classroom setting. Especially when I see someone getting angry. It took me a long time to get to the "guided questions" stages of teaching. A "That looks good, but if you take another look over here, you might see something else." type of statement. I had one student say he hated me, in a joking way of course. He… >>>

I rarely use this form of assessment, but the concept of personality types is the same. In fact, I have used all different manners of tests to show students that they have a set or best practices method of learning and some of them even advanced to leadership roles in groups/projects because of this. 

As a Psychology and Mental Health Counseling major, these are not new to me. In fact, when I have first term students, I often have them perform the 16 Personalities test so that we can get a better undetstanding of their preferred method of learning. Sometimes there are surprises for the students while taking this and the adjustment because of it can make learning more enjoyable.